FFB WEEK 1 RECAP - All Aboard The Allgeier Express, Richardson Real Estate, TuAnon Is Back, Big Year For Dobbins? J.K. He's Out For The Season Again, PLUS MORE!
Good morning to all of you, my loyal readers out there sipping coffee at your desk and lamenting over your fantasy lineups. Fear not! I'm here with some Tuesday morning nuggets to save your ass and guide you through this. I know I'm excited, are you?
Nobody said it was gonna be easy, nobody asked for this, but someone's gotta follow up seven hours of commercial free football, slog their way through work on Monday, then watch MORE tackle football on Monday night. I'm not sure about you guys, but I'm a little down on my back from sitting and watching football so hard on Sunday - it's the classic "reverse soreness" where you do so little that your body actually hurts for 2 days. So worth it, because FOOTBALL IS BACK!
What better way to recover than to go back through a busy slate of Week 1 NFL games? Every jam-packed Sunday afternoon of games is a blessing and it's important to remember that in the moment. We're barely a full week in and I just want to make sure you all don't take a single game for granted because there'll come a day in the not-so-distant future where you won't have NFL games to watch, and it will be very sad. The good news is that we have 16 more weeks of this, so we're nowhere close to that yet. Rejoice!
With that said, let's revisit some of the action from this week and talk about a few of the fantasy implications.
Thursday Night Football - Kelce-less Chiefs Fap At Home And Lose To The Danimals
Lions - 21 Chiefs - 20
The Detroit Lions came into Arrowhead Stadium and did the unthinkable. They beat the Chiefs. Nice win*!
Yes, that's an asterisk.
The win counts just the same, good for them, but let's be logical here. The Chiefs were missing Travis Kelce. As it turns out, he's an integral part of that offense because the rest of the receivers stink. They don't win that game if he plays.
It's the NFL, it's hard to win games and a the Lions get the W. That's ultimately all that matters. But Kelce is the Chiefs' second-most important player behind Mahomes and it was a cheap win. Still a win, but it feels slimy. Dare I say it only happened as a direct result of Kelce's absence, because Patrick Mahomes was forced to spread it out to people that are inferior to Kelce. He did what he could (21 for 39, 226 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) but he was swimming uphill all game. Which brings us to Kadarius Toney.
What a colossal disappointment this was for Toney-Heads everywhere that put their trust in him. He dropped several timely passes and whiffed on a catch that led to a pick-six. He finished the game with 1 catch for 1 yard. Simply an all-time shit-show from Kadarius Toney that played a significant role in costing them a chance at a shorthanded win.
For anyone that plugged in Noah Gray expecting even a fraction of the production that Kelce would give, I'm sorry (3 catches for 31 yards, yuck).
Amon Ra St. Brown turned in a fringe top-10 WR game with 6/71/1. Maybe not the high-volume game we're used to from him, but steady nonetheless. Just as fantasy owners expected, it was David Montgomery shouldering most of the load with 21 carries, 74 yards and a TD. Jahmyr Gibbs got just 9 touches. What the hell?
No real fantasy implications here, but Aidan Hutchinson was an absolute menace in the pass rush all night long. He was disruptive on seemingly every dropback Patrick Mahomes made. This double spin move to force Mahomes out of the pocket was incredible:
The Bengals Sent To Filthy Brown Hole Purgatory
Browns - 24 Bengals - 3
The Browns defense looked like one of the best in the league yesterday, so they will henceforth be known as the Brown Hole. This stems from the criminally insane section of Raiders fans that call themselves the Black Hole. Just go with it.
Deshaun Watson flashed some of the dual-threat abilities that make him an intriguing weekly fantasy option. He wasn't good when he came back last year, but we may just be getting the pre-suspension Watson for 2023. He was just 16/29 for 154 yards, a TD and an INT through the air but also threw in 5 rushes for 45 yards and another TD in his true return as starter for the Browns. The rushing threat certainly adds some allure for Watson and he was good enough for QB5 on Sunday. Nick Chubb delivered the beef with 18 carries and 106 yards, no surprises here. No touchdown, but his massive 5.9 yards per carry and consistent workload keep him as a zero-doubt, no-brainer RB1.
Joe Burrow had the worst game of his life with just 82 passing yards. That's almost impossible to fathom. Maybe his calf isn't fully healthy, maybe the weather played a role, or maybe the Browns defense is actually that good, but he was a paltry 14-for-31 passing. It's awfully early to start making assumptions but this was beyond bad. As far as Week 1 goes, Ja'Marr Chase (5 catches for 39 yards) was a fantasy bust, Burrow was nonexistent, and the Bengals mustered just 3 points. Total nightmare if you started Burrow, Chase, Tee Higgins (0 catches!), or Joe Mixon (13 carries 56 yards). Anyone in that offense cost you dearly in your matchup, but chin up - there are better days ahead and the Bengals are notoriously slow starters (0-2 to open last year, 12-2 from there on out).
The Ravens Feast On Stroud Carrion To Fell The Texans
Ravens - 25 Texans - 9
CJ Stroud's rookie debut wasn't exactly the fairytale story he'd envisioned, but we knew there would be some growing pains. Zero TDs for the Texans offense but Stroud wasn't horrible. 28/44 for 242, no TDs but also no INTs. About the only positive you can take from this is at least he didn't turn the ball over.
Dameon Pierce was a product of low-output on offense and only put together 11 carries for 38 yards (double yuck). I still like Pierce as a middling RB2 option but the Ravens put the clamps down.
Lamar Jackson wasn't particularly sharp in this one, just 17/22 passing and 169 yards with an INT. He also didn't run the ball as often as one might expect with 6 carries for 38 yards and had a careless fumble. They leaned heavily on the run game which was going swimmingly until their starter, JK Dobbins got rolled up and tore his achilles tendon.
This sucked. There's not a more "can't catch a break" guy than JK Dobbins and he's out with ANOTHER season-ending injury after missing all of 2021 with a torn ACL. Backup Justice Hill had 2 TD runs and Gus Edwards added another, but that's a significant blow to the offense and fantasy owners everywhere.
Side Note: If you drafted JK Dobbins and you don't have Gus Edwards or Justice Hill on your roster as safety handcuffs, rectify that. This backfield is a mess but I'm not sure there's a more important player to handcuff than JK Dobbins. Catastrophic injuries and JK Dobbins appear to go hand-in-hand, as much as I hate to say it. Spend whatever FAAB you need to on Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, in that order.
Another notable Week 1 absence was Mark Andrews. He was sidelined yesterday with a quad injury, but more out of an abundance of caution than anything else. Much like Kelce/Noah Gray, if you plugged in Isaiah Likely to fill his void, I'm so very sorry (1 catch for 4 yards, double yuck plus a puke). Hopefully Andrews is all set for a healthy return in Week 2 and we don't have to work around this anymore.
The story of the day for the Ravens was Zay Flowers. The rookie showed slick open-field moves and caught 9 passes for 78 yards in an impressive debut game. His electric preseason has carried over and he looks like a natural out there. Mark Andrews coming back may curb his targets a tad, but I view him as the WR1 in Baltimore already and he was fun to watch with the ball in his hands. His early, heavy involvement in this offense should have drafters percolating and excited for what's to come.
Buccaneer Baker Burns The Boats, Sinks The Vikings
Bucs - 20 Vikings - 17
This one came as a bit of shock. Getting gashed early on by Justin Jefferson (7 catches for 138 yards in the first half), the Bucs shut him down in the second half and the Vikings sputtered to a bad loss in Minneapolis. Not much to speak of for the Vikings and I wouldn't classify this as a "fun" game to watch, as neither team was able to run the ball and scoring was sparse.
The Bucs did exactly as much as they needed to to get the road win. It wasn't pretty and Baker is still very much a game manager at best, but a win's a win. I will say, my personal favorite moment from this one was in the 4th quarter when Baker Mayfield scrambled on 3rd down to move the chains. It was a "flop your nuts out on the table" run, he almost got his neck ripped open, but they had to have it. He put his body on the line and it paid off. He also took this opportunity to talk shit and tell someone to "get your weight up".
I'm sure this won't backfire. Regardless, he no doubt gained some fans yesterday leading the Bucs to an improbable 1-0 start.That is an angry man 😡🖐️ pic.twitter.com/YWokLu0APa
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 11, 2023
Kirk Cousins should've never shaved the mustache. I blame this for the loss.
Despite his lack of facial hair, he was still able to amass 344 yards, 2 TDs, and an INT (QB9). The second half collapse and general lack of scoring was too much to overcome but it wasn't a disastrous fantasy performance for him.
A lot is being said about Justin Jefferson, seen sitting on the bench after the game, looking dejected and super sad. Reporters saw this and tried to goad him immediately after the game when he was asked about his contract situation. Opportunist, clickbait-y shit questioning by the reporter who asked him about it, in my opinion, and the best receiver in the game will be just fine. Reminder: he had 9 catches for 150 yards. He was just unhappy with the loss.
Jordan Addison was able to find the endzone in his first NFL contest. He got behind the secondary and caught a 39-yard bomb in stride from Cousins for his first career score. For whatever it's worth, Justin Jefferson was right there to celebrate and make sure he remembered to keep the ball.
Very few fantasy snippets to include in this one outside of Addison and Jefferson - the Vikings outgained the Bucs by 125 yards and mostly played better than their opponent, but 3 turnovers proved to be the difference. Better days are ahead for JJettas and the Vikings, but losing this one at home was rough.
Bijan Mustardson & The Falcons Slather Panthers Sandwich With Hot, Wet Loss Sauce
Falcons - 24 Panthers - 10
Bijan sounds like dijon. He has his own line of mustard. Stay with me.
Speaking of Bijan Robinson, I know fantasy owners everywhere are uneasy thanks to the Beef Castle himself, Tyler Allgeier.
First of all, I told you so. If you had the sense to read my fantasy content, then you would've known that Tyler Allgeier is legit. You would've known he was going to outpace Bijan in total touches and yardage sometimes.
Second of all, Bijan is gonna be just fine. As I said before, and again here with this crudely-made meme, there's enough to go around because this Atlanta offense is ~ extra ~ runny.
It was his first game ever, chill out. He had 17+ points! 10 carries for 56 yards to go with 6 catches for 27 yards and a NASTY touchdown run after the catch. It wasn't even a score out of the backfield (those will come), he was lined up in the slot as a receiver. This should excite everyone with Bijan stock.
He's versatile and vicious and everything you want out of a do-it-all rookie. Arthur Smith will continue to use him more and more as a universal weapon as the season progresses. Do we see the touches flip-flop throughout the season? I would expect so. Does the committee continue? I think it does. Does Cordarrelle Patterson come back and steal away some volume from Allgeier and Bijan? Maybe. The overarching point remains: Both Bijan and Allgeier carry fantasy value and yesterday showed why.
I don't know what to make of Kyle Pitts. I've gone back and forth: is he the most overrated player ever? Or is he just a horrid fit in the Atlanta offense? I tend to think, from a fantasy standpoint, he carries little to no value as a Falcon. If he was somewhere else then maybe it's a different story. If you're in a dynasty league and someone wants to give him to you for a bag of peanuts and some dirty thongs, sure, you can take him. Otherwise, as long as he's a Falcon it's best to stay away. He did, however, lead the team in targets and receiving yards yesterday, with 44 yards on 2 catches (triple ultra maximum yuck, vomit and feces everywhere). He's painfully bench-worthy along with the rest of the Falcons WR corps (Drake London - 1 target).
Bryce Young: welcome to the NFL, my dude. Defensive backs are faster and smarter and better than they were in the SEC, and that's okay. The first game is under the belt, it wasn't stellar (20/38, 146 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs) but it was a tie game heading into the 4th quarter and he didn't get decapitated so the Panthers can move on and focus on the Monday Night matchup against the Saints.
Commanders Win But Good Lad Joshua Dobbs Performs Admirably - That Is All
Commanders - 20 Cardinals -16
I don't want to justify this game with a witty headline. All things considered, this win had to feel a little weird for Commanders fans. I know they're hungry for success after years of tyranny under Dan Snyder, but there's an ominous tone to this one because it was way too close for comfort.
Long live Joshua Dobbs, a true Vol For Life, and a close personal friend (we've met one time). You'll never catch me saying a bad word about Josh Dobbs, his service to the University of Tennessee is nothing short of heroic and he's a legend around these parts. What the Cardinals have done here is just gross. Coming in two weeks before the season starts and being thrown to the wolves isn't an easy spot to be in, but Dobbs did everything he could with a decimated Arizona roster that seems neglected and tank-ready. It was neck and neck until the 4th quarter when the Commanders scored 10 points to secure the win.
Strictly from a fantasy standpoint, this one was a dud. There was a defensive touchdown and 3 field goals, but no other scoring to speak of from the Cardinals. James Conner was just okay (14 carries/62 yards) but no touchdowns makes for a dull fantasy day all around.
Sam Howell was fine and did enough to get the team a win. He had a rushing touchdown, which was a nice little bonus to go with an air TD. QB11 on a pretty down day of offense, as a whole.
The bigger fantasy storyline with the Commanders was Antonio Gibson's total lack of involvement. Lots of folks liked Gibson to be a receiving threat or play a complementary role to Brian Robinson Jr. heading into this year. There was some uncertainty, but the prevailing thought was that he'd be somewhat a part of the gameplan. He was almost completely out of the equation yesterday with just 4 total touches to Robinson's 20 (including a receiving TD). Who knows what Ron Rivera does moving forward, but that's frustrating for Gibsonites that thought he might finally break out.
Tight AFC South Battle Ends With Trevor Lawrence Jaggin' Off On Irsay's Colts
Jaguars - 31 Colts - 21
This was an especially interesting game for me today as the Colts start a new project with Anthony Richardson behind center and the Jags try to take the next step in washing the stink of Urban Meyer off their clothes.
Let me start by saying that Anthony Richardson is a house. He's a brick shit house and the designed runs, especially in the red zone, are gonna be touchdown factories. As a passer, obviously he's still a work in progress but he had a solid day - 24 for 37, 233 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT - plenty of room for improvement but they knew that on the front end. He's still a delightful, funky fantasy option with his running volume giving you 3-10 guaranteed fantasy points every week (obviously on the higher end if he can punch in goal line TDs) and he was QB4 in Week 1. Michael Pittman Jr. might be one of the benefactors of Richardson at quarterback and he had a nice TD catch & scamper yesterday, a very solid start to his year.
No Jonathan Taylor means the Colts run game was a mess. Deon Jackson had 13 carries for 14 yards, which is not what you would call "good". Richardson was their most effective rusher with 10 carries and 40 yards. Stay far, far away from the Colts backfield.
Calvin Ridley is back, and he's still very good at football. Zay Jones and Evan Engram each had 5 catches so it was pretty evenly distributed, but Calvin Ridley hit a little differently and had 8/101/1 in his first game back from suspension. He's a legitimate horse and I almost regret going conservative and having him at WR12 - should've trusted my gut a little more on that one. I think the year off served to deter me, but yesterday was all it took to make me a believer again.
Travis Etienne looked solid out of the backfield in this one, tallying 77 yards on 18 carries and a rushing TD. Tank Bigsby also had a TD in his first ever NFL game, but he made a boneheaded play that led to a Colts defensive touchdown. Aside from that, this game was mostly one-sided and the Jags will be a fun team to own stock in this year.
The 49ers Looked PURDY GOOD Against The Stealers
49ers - 30 Stealers - 7
That's not a typo, they stole time from me yesterday. They are stealers of time. Time thieves. I watched them and I'll never get that time back.
Kenny Pickett looked the worst he ever has in his short career. 31 for 46 for 232, 1 TD and 1 INT. He was missing throws left and right.
Diontae Johnson (3 catches for 48 yards) is still allergic to the endzone and tweaked his hamstring (keep an eye on that).
George Pickens was a flop after talking shit all offseason (5 catches for 36 yards).
The only TD of the day was to Pat Freiermuth (hooray).
Najee Harris (33 total yards) looks weird and slow when he runs all of the sudden, but still very much likes to hurdle people.
That mostly sums up the offensive day from the Steelers. It was a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day for them. They didn't have a first down until the second quarter. They looked utterly and completely overmatched and unprepared. Try again next week. That is all. I trust Mike Tomlin, but this was gross.
The 49ers were a little different. The heavy hitters in this offense rewarded fantasy owners - Christian McCaffrey ran 22 times for 129 yards and two TDs. He was RB2 on the day. Ho-hum, just another day for this certified dude.
Brandon Aiyuk caught both of Brock Purdy's TD passes and posted an 8/129/2 game to start the season. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle were tamed from a fantasy perspective, which left McCaffrey and Aiyuk to eat up most of the available pointage. That's a high-leverage offense to invest in and expect more big numbers to come - today was complete dominance.
Ryan Tannehill Gets Tannekilled As Titans Lose Pathetic Pillowfight To The Saints
Saints - 16 Titans - 15
The rumbles in Nashville are growing ever louder after yesterday's offensive showing. "We want Will... We want Will..." Meanwhile, somewhere on the sideline, Will Levis has his entire hand in a jar of Hellman's Mayonnaise. Anonymous sources within the organization have said that Mike Vrabel asked him why he was doing it. Levis responded "Soaking it, to get it ready for live action, coach." Does mayonnaise enhance performance on the field? Absolutely not, but sources close to the situation say that Will Levis likes how mayonnaise feels so he rubs it on his body like lotion. Anyways, Ryan Tannehill: 16/34, 198 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs. We might've just witnessed Ryan's last ride. The question now is Malik Willis or Will Levis?
Derrick Henry remains strong and steady as a fantasy option, but Sunday was a grind. He carried 15 times for 63 yards and the offensive unit wasn't in any danger of finding the endzone, so he finishes without a TD. Middling fantasy production but you're still starting him and hoping the Titans can do anything other than kick 5 field goals in every game. He's really the only person worth mentioning, none of the WRs did much.
On the other sideline, the Saints only kicked 3 field goals and did in fact score the lone touchdown in this game. To say it was a hideous offensive contest all-around would be downplaying it, but the Saints won the turnover game and this was enough to hold off the Titans for the home win. Derek Carr was QB14 this week, about what one would expect. He threw it 33 times for 305 yards, 1 TD and an INT. Only start this guy if you must because he is average as hell.
I thought Jamaal Williams would clean up during Alvin Kamara's suspension, but he was only able to rush for 2.5 yards per carry (18 rushes for 45 yards), an underwhelming output to say the least. The wide receivers had a solid enough day for fantasy owners - Chris Olave had 8 catches for 112 yards and Michael Thomas actually played and had 5 catches for 61 yards. The lone TD was hauled in by Rashid Shaheed, who came out of nowhere for 5/89/1. I'm not sure that helps anyone unless you're in a 20-team league, but he was WR9 this week.
Generally speaking, another extremely ugly offensive day for both teams which means little to no meat on the bone for fantasy owners.
A DangeRussly Lousy Game Ends With The Broncos Falling To The Raiders
Raiders - 17 Broncos - 16
This game was yet another stinker offensively and the high fantasy draft picks mostly fell short - Davante Adams only had 6 catches for 66 yards and Josh Jacobs couldn't get anything going with 48 yards on 19 carries. Thankfully for the Raiders, maybe less so for fantasy owners, Jakobi Meyers stepped up in a big way and caught 9 balls for 81 yards and 2 TDs.
Conversely, Russell Wilson looked better than he did last year, but it was still a supremely average showing. He threw for 177 yards and 2 TD passes, one to Courtland Sutton and the other to Lil'Jordan Humphrey (elite name). You're getting very basic production from Russ but Sutton starters will be pleased with the TD, not much else to say about this one. A mostly unremarkable and forgettable game to start the season for both of these teams. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 200 and Russ threw for 177. The Raiders outgained the Broncos 261 to 260 and it was a very bland affair overall.
The singular difference in this game was a missed PAT in the first quarter which proved to be the deciding factor. Riveting stuff.
Eagles Swoop A Boutte Out Of Bounds, Narrowly Hold Off The Pats On Tom Brady Day
Eagles - 25 Patriots - 20
I'm willing to bet most everybody thought this would be a rout, but it ended up being an exciting finish! Second best finish of the day, if you ask me.
Let's start with the running backs in Philly. Nobody was really sure how the dispersion would look, because look at how they released their official depth chart:
Jalen Hurts was so-so in the passing game, going 22/33 for 170 yards and a TD. He didn't throw any interceptions but he had a bad fumble late as they tried to secure the win and run the clock out, which is very unlike him. Needless to say, his QB19 day was a humongous disappointment considering the fact that some outlets had him as the QB1 heading into this season. He has an uphill battle to get there and they almost lost the game to boot.
The Eagles top-2 receivers were solid fantasy options, per usual. AJ Brown had 7 catches for 79 yards and DeVonta Smith accounted for the only offensive TD for the Eagles, catching 7 for 47 and the aforementioned score. Not the start that Eagles fans would like to see but they come away unscathed by the skin of their beak.
The Patriots almost spoiled the fun and Mac Jones damn near made an early statement in this one. He had one of the strongest games of the week with 35 completions on 54 attempts, 316 yards, 3 TDs and an INT - good enough for QB2. The departure of Jakobi Meyers and a general lack of wide receivers was a concern this past offseason, but Kendrick Bourne stepped in with 6/64/2 in a big spot. Hunter Henry caught the 3rd TD from Mac Jones and remains a TD-dependent, red zone target fantasy play.
I was high on Rhamondre Stevenson this year and his rushing numbers on Sunday stunk. He ran it 12 times for 25 yards. Granted, the Eagles have the premier defensive line in the league, so he was going up against the best. The Pats threw it 54 times, it was a very pass-happy day, but he didn't do much with his opportunities. He did, however, catch 6 passes for 64 yards and showed fantastic vision on those plays. Several of them were short screens and he was able to dart through the first and second lines, evading tackles for chunk yardage. Even though it was a tough game on the ground, this had to be encouraging for Stevenson owners. It's also worth mentioning Zeke Elliott only carried 7 times and had a fumble, so his role is still quite limited.
Skeet Carroll And The Seahawks Get Puka'd At Home By The Rams
Rams - 30 Seahawks - 13
I'm not too proud to admit, I thought the Rams were going to be horrible even prior to the Cooper Kupp news. I thought they'd be unwatchable without him. Sunday's game went a different direction and I was wrong.
Matthew Stafford, while he doesn't know his own teammates' names, was effective through the air on Sunday throwing for 334 yards. The Rams offense, without their best player, ran it up for 426 total yards, no turnovers, just one punt, and nearly doubled their time of possession over Seattle. The fantasy impact of these guys is minimal, but Tutu Atwell went for 6 catches and 119 yards. Surprisingly, rookie training camp standout Puka Nacua blew up for 10 catches and 119 yards as well. Most of the scoring was done by Kyren Williams (15/52/2) as well as Cam Akers (22/29/1) who added another TD. The LA Rams backfield is suddenly murky with Cam Akers getting stonewalled (1.3 ypc and) and ghosts from last year coming back to haunt Akers owners.
The Seahawks stunk out loud and totally collapsed after the first quarter. Geno Smith threw for just 112 yards and 1 TD. 47 of those and the lone TD went to DK Metcalf. Tyler Lockett, a fantasy favorite, had only 2 catches for 10 yards. Gargantuan bust there, one of the bigger busts of the week. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was dormant, as was Zach Charbonnet - the two Seattle rookies that were hyped up heading into the season. Kenneth Walker III was efficient on his 12 carries and got to 64 yards, but the Seahawks went into full meltdown mode. They only ran 46 total plays in this game, and they gained just 12 yards in the second half. They were 2 for 9 on 3rd downs and ran 32 fewer plays than the Rams. To summarize, it was an abysmal offensive day for Seattle. It's impossible to overstate how truly nightmarish of a game this was for them and one they hope not to replicate any time soon.
The Dolphins Exorcise The Demons To Beat The Chargers
Dolphins - 36 Chargers - 34
Now we're talkin'. This is the stuff.
We waited 250-something days for NFL football and this is what it's all about. This game was AWESOME.
Tua Tagavailoa was out of his mind in this one. I think it's the tattoo. I still say it's a bit like cheating if you have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as your primary targets, but them's the breaks. 466 yards and 3 TDs in Sunday's duel was football porn. QB1 in fantasy to start the season and a road win is what TuAnon likes to see.
Jaylen Waddle was solid with 4/78, but the star in this one was Tyreek Hill. 11 catches for 215 yards and 2 TDs was good for 30+ fantasy points and WR1. An explosive fantasy day for Tua + Tyreek and anyone that spent a first-round pick on Tyreek was being handsomely rewarded.
This game was a shootout, so the running game wasn't featured as much, but for whatever it's worth Raheem Mostert punched in a TD for all his fantasy owners out there.
The Chargers offense put up points as well and another first-rounder showed why he was going so high in fantasy drafts. Perennial fantasy stud Austin Ekeler carried 16 times for 117 yards and a score. In the middle of the game, Ekeler was dealing with an ankle injury, so Joshua Kelley also got 16 carries and converted that into a very solid 91 yards and a TD. The LA backfield was split in half, but it put up sufficient numbers so we won't complain. Check the injury reports and see what Ekeler does this week in practice, Joshua Kelley is owned in just 11.4% of ESPN leagues and may be worth a waiver pickup.
Justin Herbert was good on Sunday, even with a less-than-stellar yardage output in the air. He threw for 228 yards and a TD but added in a rushing score as well for good measure. His WRs were good, not great - Keenan Allen led all receivers with 6/76, Ekeler had 4/47, and Mike Williams had 4/45 before leaving with an injury when he bashed noggins with a linebacker. New addition to the WR room Quentin Johnston was quiet with just 2 catches for 9 yards as he tries to acclimate to NFL speed as a rookie.
Brandon Staley may want to update his LinkedIn page, but boy was this a good one.
The Packers and Their Jordan Love Musket Blast The Bears In Chicago
Packers - 38 Bears - 20
The collective sigh of relief around Chicago when Aaron Rodgers was traded was short-lived, because it appears there's a new boogeyman in Green Bay.
Jordan Love was excellent in his first action as a starter, completing 15 of 27 passes for 245 yards and 3 TDs. What else does a young quarterback, expected to be the franchise cornerstone for years to come, do in his first real start as the main guy? He leans heavily on Aaron Jones, of course! That's exactly what Love did Sunday and Jones owners watched the points rush in. 9 carries for 41 yards and a TD to go with 2 catches for 86 (EIGHTY SIX) yards and another TD. Incredible game for Jones and it's safe to assume he'll be Jordan Love's Swiss-Army Knife this year.
Christian Watson was out with an injury, so fellow second-year receiver Romeo Doubs picked up the slack while he gets healthy. Just 4 catches for Doubs in this contest, but 2 TDs goes a long way for the select few fantasy owners that started him. Second-round pick Luke Musgrave had a nice debut as well (3/50) and should see plenty of looks as the clear TE1 in GB.
As for the Bears, it wasn't the start anyone wanted to see. Justin Fields was decent through the air (24/37, 216 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and solid on the ground, but it just wasn't the explosive version of Fields that folks were expecting. The Bears, once again, seem hesitant to really turn him loose as a runner, which is where he's at his best. All off-season, he was hailed as the next Jalen Hurts and everyone has been expecting a leap into elite territory, but Sunday just wasn't that at all. It was more of the same from Justin Fields, not greatly improved from last year and the offense didn't have much pop. Hopefully they can round into form and we'll see Justin Fields catapult into Top-5 status like he's capable of, but yesterday's QB15 start was a letdown.
Other notable fantasy movers such as Khalil Herbert and DJ Moore were kept under wraps, with only Roschon Johnson and Darnell Mooney scoring TDs for the Bears. It was a sickening day for Bears fans and Bears fantasy owners alike getting shellacked by the Packers at home.
Also, can the Bears just cut Chase Claypool already? This shit is embarrassing.
Pick 32 https://t.co/T1WJdH6s5c pic.twitter.com/MB636VIaov
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) September 11, 2023
The Cowboys Do Si Do All Over Daniel Jones And The Giants' Faces
Cowboys - 40 Giants - Ø
The title pretty much says it all. The Giants laid an egg to open the season at home with Queen Latifah in attendance. QUEEN LATIFAH was there and that was the best they brought to the table.
All the Daboll love because they went 9-7-1 last year and then this. All the Saquon drama just to shit your diaper on Sunday night in primetime. This offseason had all the workings of a disaster and that's what last night was. Get your house in order, Daboll.
Daniel Jones had himself a night. I admittedly don't ingest a ton of Giants football because, well... Daniel Jones. The primary picture in my head is that of Daniel Jones breaking an 80 yard run then tripping over his own feet and faceplanting. That's the Daniel Jones I know.
On Sunday night, the same bumbling stumbling Daniel Jones threw for 104 yards on 15 of 28 passing with two gift-wrapped interceptions to boot. He also ran 13 times for 43 yards. If there's any defense for Daniel Jones, it's that he was terrorized all night by Micah Parsons, so it may not be solely on him. But he's the quarterback and makes the most money on the team, so it's on him. QB26. Absolutely disgusting. Avoid like the plague. Even though he can run it.
Saquon Barkley didn't earn that lofty contract extension that he's so desperately sought this offseason with just 12 carries and 51 yards. Darren Waller was nowhere to be found (3 catches for 36 yards). Again, this game was borderline unwatchable and the Giants were down 26-0 at halftime. It was over before it started.
The Cowboys defense did a lot of the legwork early in this game with a blocked field goal return and pick six both in the first quarter, giving them an instantaneous 14 point headstart. From there, the Giants floundered and the Cowboys put it in cruise control. Dak Prescott completed just 13 of 24 passes for 143 yards, but the kicker? No interceptions. #progress. The offense just never got too crazy after they got an early lead and there wasn't much need to open it up. Of note: CeeDee Lamb was solid with 4 catches for 77 yards. Tony Pollard owners enjoyed seeing his 14 carries, 77 yards and 2 TDs, cementing his RB1 status in Dallas. Kavontae Turpin also scored late but I don't anticipate anyone out there that reads this started him in any of their leagues.
Monday Night Football - Josh Just Keeps Turning It Over, Jets Survive And Soar Past The Bills
Jets - 22 Bills - 16
This game had everything.
Drama early, impending dread for Jets fans, turnovers, hope for Jets fans, a doink-but-made field goal and more impending dread, then a walkoff punt return in overtime for a Jets win. It was a roller coaster for the ages and a fabulous way to kick off Monday Night Football for this season. I'm sweating just typing this. It was an amazing game.
Thank goodness for a nail-biter, because Sunday night's primetime slot was a debacle. Prayers for Bills Mafia this morning as they pick up the pieces to their folding tables and try to convince themselves that everything's gonna be fine.
Jets fans had their hearts ripped out and thrown into a bucket of boiling tears seconds into this game as Aaron Rodgers popped his Achilles tendon before even throwing a pass. It's a brutal loss for the Jets and an awful break for Rodgers, no other way around it. At 39 you have to wonder now what his future looks like, not just in New York, but in the NFL.
Once the game got rolling, the Jets defensive line showed why they're one of the most vaunted in the league and had Josh Allen looking... not great. Since 2018 when he came into the league, Josh Allen has more turnovers than anyone else and last night was no exception. He's a lot of things as a quarterback: dynamic, exciting, big, strong, fast, nice, tall. He's also extremely lackadaisical with the football, which is becoming problematic, and it might be time for him to consider not turning it over so much. Just a thought. I also wouldn't be upset if he learned how to slide in the open field as opposed to hurdling people. He's gonna get himself killed. 29-for-41, 236 yards, 1 TD, and 3 INTs - a very pedestrian QB20 night.
As we might've expected against the stout front of the Jets, the Bills run game was stagnant. James Cook carried 12 times for 46 yards and Josh Allen added 6 carries for 36 yards. There's legit concern with the Bills run game as it is and last night was a struggle.
Stefon Diggs was elite with 10 catches (a handful of those coming on a two-minute drill late in the game), 102 yards, and an early TD. This is what you've come to expect from Diggs and he gave owners a WR5 output in what was an offensively-challenged game for the Bills.
The Jets won the game, but they also lost their starting QB and their playoff hopes are likely dashed. Seems like an uneven tradeoff, and now they're stuck with Zach Wilson for the time being. He looked uncomfortable most of the time, but to his credit he made some throws to keep them alive. He was 14 for 21 for 140 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. Not a fantasy option by any stretch of the imagination, but the Jets are 1-0.
They mostly abandoned the passing game thanks to the good work of Breece Hall. Coming back from an injury, Hall ripped the Bills defense to shreds to the tune of 10 carries for 127 yards and threw in a catch for 20 yards. This was hands-down the offensive highlight of the night for the Jets and they have to feel ecstatic about how Breece Hall looked. Dalvin Cook received 13 carries but wasn't able to find much daylight, just 33 yards on his stat sheet.
Garrett Wilson stock may be down thanks to Aaron Rodgers' injury, but he still caught a zany touchdown pass last night. It was supposed to be some sort of a back-shoulder fade in the endzone, but Zach Wilson badly missed his target to the inside. He more or less threw it right to the defender. This forced Garrett Wilson to break up the interception, tip it to himself, and make the catch as he fell down. A circus catch and early contender for Catch of the Year. 5/34/1 for Garrett Wilson, the touchdown salvaged his fantasy performance and his fantasy value takes a small hit if Zach Wilson is their guy moving forward.
It was a busy week 1 and I hope you won your matchup. If you didn't, drop me a line. We can work through it. Win the waiver wire and until next week, thanks for reading!
-Clax
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